Dog owner's £2,000 bill for not clearing pets' mess

A DOG owner must pay more than £2,000 after letting his animals repeatedly foul on a shared footpath leading to several properties.

Jason King, of Newdigate Street, was served with an abatement notice by the city council last May requiring him to clean up after the dogs.

But he failed to comply and surveillance showed he was still not clearing up after the pets.

Mr King failed to attend the hearing at Derby Magistrates' Court yesterday and the district judge found him guilty in his absence. With fines and costs, he will pay more than £2,000.

Councillor Hardyal Dhind-sa, city council cabinet member for planning, environment and public protection said: "This result sends out a clear message that we will take action against anyone who might have a dog but who is not a responsible dog owner.

"Picking up a dog's waste is part and parcel of being a dog owner.

"If you're not prepared to do that, then you really shouldn't have a dog."

A city council spokesman said the authority was committed to taking action against dog fouling.

He said: "We issued 62 abatement notices between September 2011 and December 2012 compared to 13 in the previous 16-month period."